2000
#59,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 317
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Rare Last name
Qasem
A direct borrowing from the Arabic name Qasim meaning "to distribute or divide".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,167 Americans carry the last name Qasem. That puts it at #25,455 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 293,706 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Qasem surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 293,706
Census rank
#25,455
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,018 bearers of the surname Qasem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25455th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Qasem, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Qasem
The surname QASEM is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the Middle East region. It is derived from the Arabic word "qasim" which means "divider" or "distributor". This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who played a role in dividing or distributing resources or goods.
The name QASEM is believed to have first emerged in the 7th century during the early years of Islam. It is possible that the name was borne by individuals associated with the distribution of resources or wealth during that time period in the Arab world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name QASEM can be found in the historical chronicles of the Umayyad Caliphate, which ruled from 661 to 750 CE. These chronicles mention individuals with the name QASEM who held administrative positions in various regions of the caliphate.
In the 9th century, there are records of a scholar and poet named Abu al-Qasem al-Anbari (born in 815 CE) who hailed from the city of Anbar in present-day Iraq. He was renowned for his contributions to Arabic grammar and linguistics.
Another notable figure with the surname QASEM was Ibn al-Qasem (1070-1151 CE), a renowned Maliki jurist and scholar from Cordova, Spain. His legal rulings and writings had a significant impact on the development of Islamic jurisprudence in the Iberian Peninsula.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name QASEM was prevalent among individuals from various regions, including present-day Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa. One notable figure was Qasem Beg (1528-1588), a military commander and governor who served under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
In the 19th century, there are records of a prominent scholar and poet from Egypt named Muhammad Qasem al-Sayyid (1810-1875). He was renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and played a significant role in the literary renaissance of the region.
It is worth noting that the name QASEM may have variations in spelling and pronunciation across different regions and cultures. For instance, in some areas, it may be spelled as "Qassem" or "Kasim". Additionally, there may be variations in the placement of the emphasis or stress on different syllables.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Qasem
Among Census respondents with the surname Qasem, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Qasem bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Qasem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 874
- Two or more races8.6% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 22
- Black or African American0.9% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Qasem
Qasem appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#36,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 622
+305 bearers (+96.2%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 23,563 places
2020
#25,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,018
+396 bearers (+63.7%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 10,593 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,611 | 317 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,048 | 622 | 0.21 | +305 bearers (+96.2%) | Up 23,563 places |
| 2020 | #25,455 | 1,018 | 0.34 | +396 bearers (+63.7%) | Up 10,593 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Qasem surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36,048 | #25,455 | 29.4% |
| Count | 622 | 1,018 | 63.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.34 | 62.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Qasem bearers went from 622 to 1,018 (+63.7% change). The surname moved up 10,593 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,048 to #25,455.
FAQ
Qasem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Qasem?
Name Census estimates that about 1,167 living Americans carry the surname Qasem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 293,706 residents.
How common is Qasem?
Qasem ranks #25,455 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,018 people with the surname Qasem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,167), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Qasem.
Has Qasem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Qasem went from 622 recorded bearers to 1,018. That is an increase of 396 (+63.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #36,048 to #25,455.
What does the Census say about the background of Qasem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Qasem, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Qasem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (874 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Qasem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Two or More Races (8.6%), Hispanic (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Qasem (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Qasem mean?
A direct borrowing from the Arabic name Qasim meaning "to distribute or divide". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Qasem (0.34 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Qasem?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Qasem, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.